Adams County Fire Rescue Tip of the Week

ACFR urges the public to secure their vacant properties ~

DENVER, Colo. – Adams County Fire Rescue would like to remind the public that vacant properties, houses or commercial buildings that are empty or unoccupied, should be properly secured. Vacant properties that are secure and well maintained do not pose as much of a threat to public safety as properties that are open to unauthorized access. Securing vacant properties helps prevent fires and criminal activity.

According to the International Association of Arson Investigators, firefighters are more likely to be injured fighting fire in vacant properties than any other property type. They estimate that 6,000 firefighters are injured responding to vacant building fires. Additionally, fires in vacant, unsecured properties put neighboring occupied properties in danger of exposure, and can have a negative economic impact in the area.

ACFR recommends the following tips for owners of vacant properties:

If possible, provide aggressive surveillance and patrol of the property.

If surveillance and patrol is not possible, board up all entry points, including doors and windows.

To prevent fires, remove all combustibles in or around the building. Trash accumulations are easy targets for vandals to ignite.

In the long term, the better solution is to prepare the building for re-use.